Industrial and Manufacturing

NYC is a hub of innovation in manufacturing technology. Recent growth has harnessed the power of cutting-edge equipment to develop and assemble goods, supporting new entrepreneurs in the nation’s largest city.

Technological advances and new ways of doing business are shaping a new manufacturing system, with a focus on smaller, more flexible production.

Advanced technologies favor the production landscape of NYC with high-value, low-volume, and customized goods.

Traditional Industries, New Technologies

NYC businesses are pioneering advanced manufacturing technologies, from 3D printing to robotic automation to augmented reality. These allow manufacturers to customize their products and bring goods to market quicker than ever, giving them a powerful competitive edge.

From traditional NYC industries like design, fashion, and food manufacturing to emerging sectors like bio-engineering and urban technology, companies are using tech to empower their workforces and improve their bottom lines.

An Engine of Opportunity

The City is making key investments in talent, infrastructure, space, and funding to create a thriving industrial and manufacturing base that will empower economic growth and create quality jobs for New Yorkers across all five boroughs.

Projects & Programs

We’re building on NYC’s core strengths and powering new growth opportunities to support the city’s diverse manufacturing and industrial community.

• NYCIDA Industrial Program: Property tax incentives to lower the costs of constructing, renovating, and operating industrial facilities for NYC industrial businesses and developers.
• Futureworks Makerspace @ Brooklyn Army Terminal: A 15,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing center offering affordable access to over $1 million worth of state-of-the-art equipment, space, educational programming, and other services to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses right here in New York City. Makerspace also offers an additional 20,000 square feet of studio space available to small-scale makers and emerging small businesses.
• Micromanufacturing Hub @ Brooklyn Army Terminal: A home for growth-stage industrial manufacturing companies with affordable rents. These 1,000-2,000-square-foot spaces support all kinds of manufacturers, from woodworkers, jewelry-makers, and machinists to advanced manufacturers using tools like robotics, CNC machines, or laser cutters in their production process.

• Fashion Manufacturing Initiative: Started as a $6 million public-private partnership fund by NYCEDC and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Since its launch, we scaled the program to reinvest in the supply chain of tomorrow that was built for NYC’s fashion industry. FMI has disbursed $5.1M in innovation grants to 48 factories throughout the 5 boroughs – 54 percent of which are women owned and 37 percent of which are minority owned.
• NYC Industrial Developer Loan Fund: Supporting industrial job-creation in NYC by strategic debt in the form of subordinated loans for industrial real estate development projects.
• Industrial Business Service Providers (IBSP) Network: An NYC Department of Small Business Services-administered program to provide business education, financing assistance, recruitment and training support; help navigate government; and connect industrial businesses to public incentives, while collecting real-time data on the sector’s latest trends.

The city’s industrial needs are always changing. From the eras of horse power to steam power to digital power, NYC has always been at the front lines of innovation. Today’s manufacturing and industrial entrepreneurs must have the right tools to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Creating the spaces companies need to expand production. Providing the financial incentives for maximum growth. Broadening access to state-of-the-art technology. And, most of all, connecting manufacturers to the limitless potential of the city’s talented workforce. It’s what NYCEDC does every day to ensure that NYC remains a premier global destination in this constantly-evolving sector of our economy.

Industrial Business Zones

Industrial Business Zones (IBZs) were created in 2006 to support industrial and manufacturing firms by providing a relocation tax credit of $1,000 per employee, up to $100,000, to industrial and manufacturing firms choosing to move into IBZs. To create more certainty on land use policy, the IBZ designation also carries a commitment by the City of New York not to support a rezoning permitting new residences. The IBZs are comprised entirely of manufacturing-zoned land. However, not all of the City’s manufacturing-zoned land is included within IBZs. Currently there are 21 IBZs throughout the City:

Brooklyn: Brooklyn Navy Yard, East New York, Flatlands/Fairfield, Greenpoint/Williamsburg, North Brooklyn, Southwest Brooklyn  
Bronx: Bathgate, Eastchester, Hunts Point, Port Morris, Zerega  
Queens: Jamaica, JFK, Long Island City, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Steinway, Woodside  
Staten Island: North Shore, West Shore, Rossville

^{The map (in shapefile format) is provided for convenience of reference purposes only and is not for reliance. NYCEDC makes no warranties as to the quality, accuracy or completeness of the names, labels or other information presented. If you have additional questions, please contact Small Business Services ([email protected]).}